by Iva Kestrankova
A glimpse into a towing job that exceeds the ordinary.
When JKM Towing’s operations manager, Kevin Moore, was contracted to haul the newest model of electric Cadillac across Canada, he found himself living the life of a touring rock star. As a seasoned tow truck operator (involved in the industry since 1981), he was accustomed to being on the road, but this time it was different. Kevin’s job was to transport a pod carrying a 2023 Cadillac Lyriq from Ontario to dealerships in British Columbia, as part of a five-year contract, to showcase this star of the 2021 Super Bowl ad to potential customers.
From August until mid-December 2022, Kevin journeyed across the country, only taking a short break at Thanksgiving to spend time at home. The journey was not without its challenges, as he had to navigate through several mountain passes in early-winter conditions. However, Kevin’s careful driving ensured that the pod arrived at its destination without any damage.
To make it easier to maneuver on limited-size dealership yards, Kevin’s flat deck was shortened from its original length of 53 feet before setting off on his tour west. “We had to take eight feet off to be able to get into and out of the dealerships and unload the pod,” explained Kevin. “There is no wiggle room.”
On the east coast, a similar tour was taking place. A second JKM Towing truck started in Ontario and headed through Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, all the way to St. John’s, Newfoundland, making the Lyriq’s tour a real coast-to-coast experience.
Photos: Tow Canada
Tow Canada met Kevin when he arrived at Carter Cadillac in Burnaby, B.C. Transporting the pod safely to a dealership was only the first part of Kevin’s job. He parked his tow truck next to the dealership’s building, and from the moment he jumped out of his cabin, he started the transformation of the pod into a real showroom.
Using hydraulic power, the pod expanded from its original eight feet to 16 feet-wide on the truck’s bed. Kevin then lowered a hydraulic strut from each corner of the pod to support the whole construction. Once the hydraulic legs were secured on wooden blocks, the pod was lifted even further, above the tow truck’s deck. By standing on the struts, Kevin was able to drive the flat bed away from the pod. In the final step, the supports were gradually retracted, bringing the container to the ground.
It was an impressive sight to witness the pod transformed into a shiny showroom in less than two hours. After completing final touch-ups to set up the interior of the showroom, Kevin’s job was done. He had a day and a half of free time to explore the beautiful city of Vancouver and get some rest. After, he returned to the dealership to perform the same drill, this time in the opposite order, before heading to the farthest dealership on Vancouver Island. “This is like a vacation,” joked Kevin, a level 8/9 certified WreckMaster, who knows how to take the most out of this “on the road” lifestyle.
Author’s note: Thank you, Kevin, for inviting Tow Canada to document this stop on your journey across Canada and allowing us to take a sneak peek at this all-electric luxury SUV.